More than 6 million children with disabilities in North America require assistive technology and related services each year in order to participate and succeed in school. This book, Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology, provides an essential guide for assessing a child's needs, choosing and implementing the right technologies and services, and training education professionals in how to optimize learning with these critical tools.

Work on the Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology (QIAT) began in the summer of 1998 when a group of assistive technology (AT) service providers shared their concerns about the complexity of selecting, locating, and delivering AT and AT services in K-12 and postsecondary environments. They agreed on the need for professional guidelines to improve the quality and consistency of AT delivery.

Since then, the QIAT Leadership Team has gathered input from more than 4,000 individuals ranging from students and families to school staff, policy makers, and higher education faculty. After many drafts and revisions informed by the field, the result is the Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology: A Comprehensive Guide to Assistive Technology Services.

This book will prove indispensable for:

• School districts as they strive to develop and provide quality assistive technology services
• aligned to federal, state, and local mandates
• Assistive technology service providers as they evaluate and constantly improve their services
• Consumers of assistive technology services as they seek appropriate assistive technology
• services that meet their needs
• Universities and professional developers as they conduct research and deliver programs that
• promote the development of the competencies needed to provide quality assistive technology
• services
• Policy makers as they attempt to develop judicious and equitable policies related to assistive
• technology services.

Filled with information and supports such as self-evaluation matrices, suggested activities, checklists, and other helpful tools, Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology is a clearly written and well-organized resource for those who seek to ensure that quality AT services are provided.

Introduction

Chapter 1: Introduction to the Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology

Chapter 2: Exploring the Quality Indicators for Consideration of Assistive Technology Needs

Chapter 3: Exploring the Quality Indicators for Assessment of Assistive Technology Needs

Chapter 4: Exploring the Quality Indicators for Including Assistive Technology in the IEP

Chapter 5: Exploring the Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology Implementation

Chapter 6: Exploring the Quality Indicators for Evaluation of Effectiveness of Assistive Technology

Chapter 7: Exploring the Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology in Transition

Chapter 8: Exploring the Quality Indicators for Administrative Support of Assistive Technology Services

Chapter 9: Exploring the Quality Indicators for Professional Development and Training in Assistive Technology

Chapter 10: Using the Quality Indicators to Improve Assistive Technology Services

Appendix A: Quality Indicators for Consideration of Assistive Technology Needs

Appendix B: Self-Evaluation Matrices for the Quality Indicators in Assistive Technology Services

Appendix C: Self-Evaluation Matrices Summary Sheet

Appendix D: QIAT Planning Documents

References

About the Authors